An Extended Epilogue
by Kitake Neru
Summary: Code Blue Aizawa/Shiraishi. He hadn't planned on it, but in hindsight he supposed it was bound to happen. Question is, what do they do now?
1. When Alcohol Is A Bad Idea

Author's Note: I like this pairing and think they have potential, and so here it is! Enjoy ^_^

HE WOKE UP feeling extremely disoriented. The first thing that registered was that the ceiling was not the hospital's panel ceiling and neither was it his room's. So he did not fall asleep in the rest room. He felt groggy but it wasn't the grogginess that comes with hangovers, but a more pleasant feeling. Add to the fact that he was warm (He didn't have a blanket this fluffy) and his body felt like lead. Did something happen to his left arm maybe? It felt numb and wouldn't move.

He moved his head slightly and was alarmed to see another head resting on his left shoulder. One slender and bare arm was slung across his torso and it worked like no hangover medicine could. Aizawa Kosaku sat up in a shot.

There was a confused sleepy yelp as whoever was half-sleeping on him was rudely woken by the moving pillow (namely, him). The sound of that voice made him twice as alarmed, though his stoic mask kept most of it in. And the events of last night came rushing back in a torrent of images and disjointed words…

… _Everyone gathering at Shiraishi Megumi's apartment to celebrate their graduation from the Fellowship. _

Everyone (except him) left shortly after midnight. He had stayed behind because although she looked fine, there was a shuttered look in her eyes that much reminded him of his own. And Megumi had trusted him enough to reveal to him why – the anti-cancer drugs her father was on had begun to take its toll on his aged system. He didn't allow her to come back, and Megumi was slowly but surely being torn apart from the worry.

He supposed it was normal for her to feel that way. She loved her father and respected him; two things he didn't feel for his own father. The only thing he could relate to was the foreboding sense of loss when his grandmother could not recognize him. For someone who was used to keeping things in it was hard. For Megumi who wears her heart on her sleeve, it must be devastating.

When she began shaking with silent sobs, he had held her close because he felt it was the best thing to do. Like medical treatment, you don't deliberate choose a bad decision for the patient. And she had cried for quite a while. He simply held her, not realizing he was stroking her hair gently. Not realizing it until it occurred to him that she had very straight, very smooth hair. Unlike his own, which was unruly until he found a suitable hair product to keep it tidy. Dr. Kuroda may have liked the rugged unkept doctor image, but Kosaku wasn't going for it.

Thoughts of Dr. Kuroda inevitably involved thinking of his arm, a loss in more ways than one. Dr. Kuroda lost his job as a surgeon, and the medical world lost a fine doctor. The Fellowship lost its guide, and had to persevere on alone. And Megumi… Megumi lost her confidence as a doctor – something that should never happen to an intern.

Thinking back, he reflected that it was from that point on that he began paying attention to her. At first he was simply worried that her mental state would interfere with her duties, but eventually it went beyond that. She was not confident like Mihoko or dense like Kazuo so small things could get to her easily. Her concentration though strong, could shatter with the right pressure. He tried to make her see that her worries were unjust, that she had no time to be thinking of such things… had to make her see that Dr. Kuroda did not blame her for it.

Afterall, Dr. Kuroda was the one who gave the order to cut off his own arm. And the one to cut it off was Kosaku.

It was a give-and-take situation, he mused. She had entrusted her fears to him, and he felt bound to reciprocate. Perhaps that was why he told her about his mother's suicide. Perhaps that was why she told him about her father's illness. Why they did not share this with others, they didn't know. But Kosaku felt his secret was safe with her, and hers with him. Give and take.

But give-and-take could not explain why he was holding her like she was going to break apart. Give-and-take could not explain why he wanted to say things that had never occurred to him before; things that had no place in a surgeon's mind. And when Megumi had finally calmed down, he found that he couldn't bring himself to remove himself from her. She pulled away slightly to look up at him and it was then; when her tear-filled eyes met his, her brave little smile and her trembling voice thanking him, Kosaku did something he knew he should never have done.

He closed the little gap between them and gently kissed her.

Of course doctor instincts kicked in a second later but while _his_ was commanding to pull away, Megumi had done the exact opposite. She kissed back.

And the rest were best kept in lockdown for the time being. He had to concentrate on the current problem. Fast.


	2. When Hiyama Mihoko Enters

Chapter 2 - When Hiyama Mihoko enters the picture...

Author's Note: Now we deal with the awkwardness and the eternally damning question; "What the hell do we do now?"

* * *

Kosaku suppressed the groan that was threatening to turn into a growl. He could see his clothes – _their_ clothes making a trail from the living room couch to the foot of the bed. He firmly slammed down the memory that was trying to resurface – her small seeking hands gliding over his skin, burning him where they touched. Breath in tandem with his, hips - _Concentrate_!

Megumi chose that moment to sit up, clutching her head. Her usually immaculate hair was in disarray, half-hiding her face. A moment later she looked at him dazedly and her face scrunched in confusion. "Aizawa…?" She whispered unsteadily, trying to focus; "… What are you doing here…?"

He felt words were not necessary. He simply looked at her, and then looked at the discarded clothing. Megumi followed his line of vision and her fair complexion turned white, and then red. "Oh… oh no." She peeked under the covers and came up looking absolutely distressed. But her brain must be working better than his right now because she clutched his arm in a death grip and urgently whispered; "I was drunk. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Aizawa. Just… pretend it never happened." She was bordering on hysterical now. "I'm sorry. This isn't supposed to… oh this is a disaster…!"

"Calm down," he was surprised he sounded calm. He was surprised he _felt_ calm. "I'll leave now."

"Yes." She had her head in her hands. He stared at her for a moment, feeling at a loss. He was out of his depth, beyond the scope of anything he had ever experienced. He wanted to say something but what?

Megumi suddenly jerked up at the sound of the doorbell. They were frozen for a second, unable to decide what to do. The doorbell rang again and Megumi whirled on him. "Hurry and shower!" She whispered urgently. "It's probably the maintenance guy. I'll pass your clothes in a bit." She reached out and grabbed the bathrobe that was hanging on a hook by the bed and put in on. He waited until she had left the room before picking up his boxers and jeans and headed to the bathroom.

Megumi hurried to the door and peeked through the peekhole. Imagine her horror when she saw who it was.

Hiyama Mihoko!

She was at a loss. Open? Don't open?

"Shiraishi, open up!"

She squeezed her eyes and cautiously opened the door a crack. "Hiyama!" She forced herself to be cheerful. "Why are you here?"

"I left my gloves here last night and I wanted to pick them up. Are you okay? You look like you drank one too many." Mihoko frowned at the disaster that was Megumi.

"Fine. I'm fine. I'm just a little frazzled. I woke up late," She laughed nervously and Mihoko's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me, girl. You had the mother of hangovers once and still came to work on time. What's the – " Her eyes fell on something on the floor behind Megumi and they widened in shock. "Isn't that…!?"

Megumi looked over her shoulder and realized that Mihoko had seen Kosaku's jacket – and recognized it.

Oh The _Horror_.

Taking advantage of Megumi's temporary distraction, Mihoko pushed opened the door and hurried in, her jaw dropping at the clothes on the floor. Megumi's. And Kosaku's. She stood there in mute shock, slowly taking in everything and coming to the conclusion Megumi knew she would.

Mihoko slowly turned to a distressed Megumi. "Did he…" She gestured arbitrarily; "I mean did you guys…"

The bathroom door opened and Kosaku strode out. It probably would not have been as damaging if he were fully clothed, but a shirtless, freshly-showered Kosaku put Mihoko's brain on short-circuit mode.

He stopped when he saw the two girls gaping – well Mihoko was gaping; Megumi had picked up his clothes and rushed to him. "Here." She handed them without meeting his gaze. "Do you… um… want coffee?" She asked hesitantly. He shook his head in the negative and gave Mihoko his usual impassive 'good morning' and closed the door, making Mihoko turn her attention back to Megumi. "I can't believe it." She finally breathed. _"I can't believe it."_

"Don't. It didn't happen." Megumi said miserably.

"It didn't?"

"Well it did, but I don't – "

"Look here," Mihoko grabbed Megumi's shoulders and took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm gonna guess this – you drank too much and somehow – I don't know _how_ – you got Aizawa into bed with you."

Megumi's petrified expression might as well had been a 'yes'. "How did you - ?"

"Girl, you're crazy when you're drunk," Mihoko said wryly and sighed. "Well I'll just stay here until he leaves, okay? Will that help?"

Megumi's shining eyes was more thanks than Mihoko needed.

Kosaku emerged a few minutes later, looking as he always did. Megumi followed him to the door and he left without another word. Mihoko would have laughed if it were anyone else, but this was Kosaku. Kosaku, the stonefaced neurologist actually fell to the temptations of the flesh… well. Strange things _do_ happen afterall.

Megumi returned to the couch and sank down on it. "I'm so embarrassed…!"

Mihoko eyed her critically. "What's there to be embarrassed? We're adults, not teenagers. He's in Neurosurgery and you're in Lifesaving. So you're feeling awkward now, no big deal. Just stay out of his sight for a while and things will be fine."

"…Will they?" Megumi massaged her temples. "You know how Aizawa is – He's probably mad at me for taking advantage of him!"

"Hey," Hiyama folded her arms across her chest; "The only person I can think of who can 'take advantage' of him is his grandma. I doubt he'd let a simple drunken girl coerce him into having sex." She leaned forward with a wicked gleam. "So how was it?"

Megumi frowned. "How was… what!? _No!_ I mean… I don't remember. I just remember telling him about my father… and I cried… and… " She reddened. "I kissed him, I think. He must have tried to pull back but… well… well… the next thing I remember is waking up next to him."

Mihoko chuckled. "I hear Aizawa being a gentleman and being a _man_ in the same sentence? That guy's not as cold as I thought."

"Hiyama, it's not funny!" Megumi floundered and Mihoko stared at her thoughtfully before getting up. She puttered around for a bit before pouncing on a pair of gloves behind the magazine rack. "Gotcha! Well, I'll be off now. And here's something Shiraishi – we know Aizawa well. He's never done anything he didn't want to do and nobody can tell him what to do either. So you may have been drunk, but he was sober. He knew what he was doing. If he chose to keep you company last night, it wasn't your fault. " She paused at the door. "Are you coming to work?"

"Yes." Megumi said half-heartedly. "I… don't tell anyone, please?"

"Not even Fujikawa?" Mihoko's eyes twinkled. Megumi shot her a dark look. "_Especially_ Fujikawa."


	3. Didn't you sleep well, doctor?

Megumi dressed in record time, but afterwards recalled nothing of it. She had done everything on autopilot and only truly came to her senses when she was standing in front of the elevator leading to Lifesaving. Her blank, slightly confused reflection stared back.

The doors slid open and she was relieved to see Saejima Haruka the only occupant. The flight nurse smiled her good morning and Megumi replied, noting how normal her voice sounded. At least she wasn't going to stumble and stammer through her day.

"Didn't you sleep well, Doctor?"

… Or maybe not normal enough.

"…E-Excuse me?" Megumi stammered and Haruka laughed. "You guys really went all out last night, didn't you? Dr. Fujikawa said it was quite a party that I missed."

_In more ways than one_, Megumi thought as she visibly relaxed and joined Haruka's laughter. The flight nurse remained thankfully clueless as they discussed several patients and Megumi silently cursed the slow elevator. But she promptly cut her curse short when the elevator arrived at its destination and the doors slid open to reveal a sullen Kousaku. He caught sight of her in the same moment and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

A charged silence followed whereby neither of the two seemed to be able to move a muscle. Thankfully Haruka broke the spell by walking out past Megumi, startling the female doctor. Megumi hastily followed the nurse's lead, not daring to look back. She was afraid that Kousaku would be staring.

If she did, she would have seen that he was indeed staring, but there was a hint of pain in his eyes. Haruka saw it though. She knew that look well. It was the look Satoshi wore in the last days of his life, a look of utter helplessness. She looked first at the retreating figure of Megumi, and then back at the elevator doors.

"… Are they fighting?" She wondered softly.

Fortunately for Megumi, Mihoko did not press the matter at work. In fact by the last hour of her shift Megumi had relaxed considerably. She was just entertaining the idea of turning in early when the emergency phone rang. Dr. Mitsui picked it up and reached for the board.  
"… High energy impact? Two men. Age? Uhuh… Bleeding? Skull?" Dr. Mitsui deftly wrote the particulars on the board and the staff mobilized without being asked to do so. Megumi was about to get ready when Dr. Mitsui called to her; "Shiraishi, get Neurosurgery to come down here please."

… And promptly crashed into an IV stand.

Mihoko yelped and quickly helped her friend up. "Are you alright!"

"I'll call!" Kazuo volunteered as he dialed Neurosurgery. Megumi unsteadily got to her feet, her heart pounding loudly. Dear god, what _happened!_

"Get yourself together!" Mihoko hissed under her breath. Out loud she said; "Why don't you take a rest? Things will be fine here."

"You're probably still out of it from last night eh?" Kazuo chuckled and Dr. Mitsui scowled. "Shiraishi, you should know your body's limits by now. If you're tired then go get some rest."

"… I'm sorry." Megumi bowed out and quickly shuffled to the changing room. She missed Kousaku by a hair's breadth as the male surgeon loped into the room. "What's the status?"

"High energy impact, fractured pelvis, 2nd and 3rd ribs broken and hemorrhaging." Kazuo relayed. "This one's bleeding from the head and unconscious. Oh, and one of them's got high alcohol levels in his blood."

Kousaku cast only the briefest glance around the room, but that alone told him Megumi was not going to be there. His eyes fell on Mihoko, who shook her head slightly and mouthed; _Not coming._

He pushed the matter to the back of his mind and concentrated on the task at hand. His jaw worked in silence and Mihoko felt a stab of pity for him. But this was not the time or place for heart-to-heart discussions.

She hoped that wherever Megumi was, she wasn't tripping over anything else.


	4. What I think is irrelevant

"She was too tired so Dr. Mitsui told her to end early," Mihoko informed him matter-of-factly as they finished up.

"Hm." Kousaku did not look up from the head he was bandaging. "Observe him for 24 hours. If his status changes inform me."

"Are you even listening?" She leaned over the treatment bed to glare at him. He paused in his work and stared straight back. Luckily the room was empty – for the moment. Kousaku turned to leave without another word and luckily a nurse came in, allowing Mihoko to chase after him.  
"Aizawa, just wait for a moment!"

He stopped, sighed and turned around. His face seemed unusually pale in fluorescent lighting. Mihoko briefly wondered if he too was suffering in some way – and then cut the thought.

"She told me to forget what happened, that it was a mistake. It's not my fault if she can't take her own advice." He said coldly.

"And you believe that?" Mihoko folded her arms over her chest and glared at him severely. "Do _you_ think it was a mistake?"

"What I think is irrelevant."

"And you looking for her is irrelevant as well, I suppose?" Mihoko pretended to study her fingernails, knowing it irked him when his words were challenged. "Face it, Aizawa. You let it happen because you _wanted_ it to happen. Now you're just feeling guilty because she's trying to deny it, but you're not guilty because it happened, are you?" She would have come right up to him and poked him in the chest if she believed he'd let her get away with it, but as it was she didn't think he could be pushed much further than he already has.

"You should apply a transfer to the psychology clinic," Kousaku replied without flinching. "Don't pretend you know me, Hiyama."

"Fine. You're impossible," Mihoko threw her hands up. "Do what you like. But I'm trying to be a good friend here. You guys are a good team, and I'd hate to see it fall apart just because of this."

"That'd make two of us," He said bitterly and turned heel and left without looking back.

Mihoko took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. It suddenly occurred to her that they weren't really keeping their voices down. Ah, the waiting area was empty at this hour anyway.

Behind a pillar, Saejima Haruka still held her breath in.

******************************

Megumi reached into her handbag and found her house keys – well to be accurate it was keys to her parents' home. Her father had invited her home for dinner, and Megumi had practically jumped at the idea. Anything to take her mind off… things. The past two days she had calmed down somewhat but being in close proximity to Kousaku still made her stomach flip. At least she wasn't tripping over nonexistent things at the mere mention of his name.

So when the director suggested she take a few days off, she agreed without resistance. Her father had been asking her to come home and this would be a good chance to… reconnect with him. Ever since his injury during the plane crash she had tried to bond with her father, but he made her put her job first before anything else. She understood – her father had his pride and that pride did not allow him to be pitied – not even by his own daughter. So she complied, but it didn't stop her from worrying. And that worry was what eventually lead to –

"Stop." She almost barked at herself, forcing her thoughts to backtrack from whatever path it was on. "Don't think about him today."

"Darling!" Her mother, Shiraishi Natsuki squealed with joy when she came in. "You're home! Why didn't you call us? Your father's inside with a guest."

"A guest?" Megumi shrugged off her coat and hung it on the coat hook by the door. "Someone we know?"

"Oh, I'm sure you know him," Her mother smiled mysteriously and Megumi frowned as she followed her mother into the living area. Her father was sitting in the armchair talking with a man who had his back to her, but his very silhouette made her heart leap. It can't be…

Hirofumi caught sight of his daughter and his face broke into a wide smile. "Ah, here she is! Dear, I'm sure you know who this is?"

Megumi was rooted to the spot as the man rose and turned around to face her. She blinked to clear her vision to ascertain she wasn't hallucinating and breathlessly asked;

_"Yuusuke-sempai?"_

Miles away, Kousaku looked at the number on the screen of his cell phone. Megumi's number. His finger hovered over the 'call' button. He had already thought of the words. All he had to do is say them to her –

And then he thought against it. He shouldn't be too hasty. With an almost regretful sigh he closed his cellphone and slipped it back into his pocket. He can deal with this some other time.


	5. A Family Dinner

**Author's Note:** A short interlude to bridge the last part and the next. Yuusuke is explained in greater depth. 

"So you're a flight doctor now? That's amazing, Megu-chan." Yuusuke did nothing to hide his amazement. Hirofumi laughed good-naturedly. "That's right, you had not been in touch for a while. High school, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I never did learn what Megu-chan decided to do after high school. I'm glad she followed through with her promise," He grinned at her.

Megumi reddened over her salad. "Please don't call me that, Yuusuke-sempai. I'm not fifteen anymore," She said in a small voice and he chuckled. "Well, I suppose it's not proper. You're a real adult now, so do you mind if I call you Megumi?"

Megumi smiled and nodded. "Yuusuke, then," She laughed.

Harimoto Yuusuke, her senior since middle school. Their parents were fast friends… until they died in an automobile accident, causing their only son to live with his relatives. After high school they went their separate ways; she to enter medical school and he went to study law. With all that's happened to her in the past few years she had all but forgotten about him until today.

"I went lecturing at Saikyoudai yesterday, and guess who came to see me?" Hirofumi laughed heartily. "You've become a good-looking young man, boy!"

"I was seeing some juniors of mine and saw the notice announcing Dr. Shiraishi's talk," Yuusuke explained to Megumi. "I thought I should at least say hello, instead he dragged me home to have dinner."

"How do you like your job, Yuusuke?" Natsuki asked. "More vegetables?"

"Oh, thanks. Well, we lawyers don't really have it as tough as doctors… though we lose the same amount of sleep," Yuusuke winked at Megumi. "Right now I'm mostly handling divorce settlements."

"Oh my," Natsuki shook her head. "It's sad when a marriage fails. Megumi dear you _must_ be careful."

"Mother…" Megumi sighed with a little smile. They then progressed on to other topics, but Hirofumi's illness was not raised. She wondered if Yuusuke knew. Then again if he was so reluctant to disclose his illness even to his own daughter, it's unlikely he'll tell anyone else, even if Yuusuke is like a son to him.

But her father was right, Yuusuke has definitely matured since she saw him last. Gone was the idealistic youth of old, in its place is a more streetwise, world-weary man whose job is to mediate people's failed unions. Yet the sparkle in his eyes remained the same, as did the ever-present smile. She had always admired him for his strength of character and his clear determination to carve his path in life.

_"So what are you going to major in?"_

Yuusuke looked up from his career-choice form and grinned. "I'm gonna take Law. Be a lawyer who serves Justice. What about you?"

"Hm?" She tilted her head in thought. "I never thought about it really… but father said I should be a doctor. That's a good idea, don't you think?"

"Megu-chan, you should make your own decisions when it comes to things like this." Yuusuke sighed. "It's your life, you know."

"But a doctor is a good job. I know I can do it!" Megumi protested and Yuusuke grinned before poking her arm with his pen. "Get real. The only treatment you know is to put Handiplast on everything, and you're not even good at that! See what you did to my finger?" He waved his right hand, of which the forefinger is bandaged so thickly it looked like a lollipop.

"The cut was _deep__!"_

"I'll sue you when I become a lawyer!" He teased and they laughed.

She smiled at the memory. Just goes to show how consuming being a doctor is – you eventually forget things outside of the hospital. Meeting him again is a breath of fresh air, and she smiled fondly at the picturesque tableau they were; a happy family.

It was something she must treasure while she still can, while her father is still around.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Doctor," Yuusuke bowed as he stood in the ante, ready to leave. "It is great to see you again."

"Come by any time you like, son," Hirofumi patted his wife's shoulder. "Come, let us leave the young ones."

"Father!" Megumi protested but her parents had gone back inside, leaving a laughing Yuusuke. "It's great to see they're still energetic," He smiled and Megumi nodded. "Father's still going about giving lectures when he should be resting at home. But he never listens to me."  
"Oh, let him have his fun," Yuusuke chuckled. "More importantly, Megu, it's good to see you again. Really."

She smiled. "You too. Come again sometime, okay? Father really likes you."

"I suppose I should be glad for that," He said mysteriously and she watched as he walked a little up the road, where his car was parked. Right before he got in, he looked over his shoulder and gave her a two-finger salute that drew a surprised laugh from her. Back in middle school when he played a soccer match, he'd always salute her right before kicking in a penalty goal. The running bet was, if he saluted and the goal went in, she had to buy him a yakisoba bread – his favorite. If he lost, he had to buy her an ice-cream.

The last time she saw that salute was right before he left for university, all those years ago. The memory made her chuckle. She supposed he really did 'score' well in life.


	6. He must be drunk to conjure her up

**Author's Note:** Enough of the skirting around, we get on with life. Since I think it's not fair that Shiraishi gets a drunk night, I decide to give Aizawa one too. Plus: A guest appearance by our one and only shemale! 

"Ara, how rare."

Mary Jane Youko (true name Ooyama Tsuneo) arched a perfectly penciled eyebrow at the sight of her customer. She craned her neck expecting the other three to follow, but none. Aizawa Kousaku was alone.

He seated himself at his usual secluded corner and signaled for Youko to bring some whiskey – his preferred drink. She had gotten used to his non-verbal attitude and did not grumble – while he certainly was a strange customer he did not pass out drunk and did not put it on his tab. But a bartender must always be friendly, so she put on her best smile and asked; "Hard day at work today, doctor?"

Kousaku paused with the glass midway to his lips and then regarded her seriously. "No."

But he must be lying, because three hours and three bottles later he had drunk himself into a pleasant, foggy mist. And a pleasant, foggy Kousaku (Youko discovered) was surprisingly chatty.

With each gulp his mood had slid deeper and deeper into darkness. Perhaps what she said was true – it was a mistake. It was a mistake for him to believe that they could become something other… other than what they had been. He didn't know why he wanted more – it was a selfish wish and now he had to suffer the consequence. It was a mistake to let his heart rule when usually his mind would intervene. Now he wasn't even sure what he was doing was right, letting her believe he had spelt with her because he was forced to. Would she believe him if he told her he had been a willing partner? Or would she simply think he was trying to protect her from her own feelings. Now…

"She won't talk to me." He said slowly, swirling the ice in his glass. Youko perked her ears from behind the bar. "Come again?"  
Kousaku gulped down the melted ice and mutely asked for another glass. Youko frowned. "I think you're already drinking too much doctor. You won't be able to hold a scalpel tomorrow morning."

Kousaku scowled with displeasure at being disobeyed and Youko hurriedly brought out another bottle. "Not my business if you have a massive hangover tomorrow." She sighed and poured him another. "What were you saying just now?"

He knew he wasn't inebriated to the point of no return, but he didn't want to stop drinking either. The whiskey was pleasantly warm, warm like her lips, her skin, her breaths… He inhaled and half believed she was there, next to him.

Impossible. Said girl was doing her shift and no amount of wishing would will her into existence here. Even if she was here…

"She's not talking to me." He mumbled. "She's angry I slept with her." He closed his eyes and completely missed Youko's openmouthed surprise. Youko leaned forward and slowly asked. "You have a girlfriend, doctor?"

He blearily shook his head. "No. Not. She's…" He sighed and took another gulp; "Shiraishi's not my gfriend." His words were slightly slurred now. "She's mad at me. 'Ngry."

"I think you've had enough." Youko withdrew the bottle and stood up. "I'm calling Dr. Shiraishi right now. You're starting to talk nonsense."

"She won't come." Was what he muttered.

Youko hastily dialed Megumi's number and it was answered on the third ring. _"Shiraishi here."_

"Dr. Shiraishi, you'd better come right now," Youko whispered. "Dr. Aizawa's drunk and I don't think he can get home on his own."

There was an awkward pause as the girl at the other end seemed to weigh the request. Finally Megumi said uncertainly; _"I'll be there soon. Please don't let him drink anymore, Mary Jane."_

Easier said than done, Youko thought grimly. Kousaku had moved himself to the bar and tapped his shot glass insistently on the counter. Youko shook her head. "You're not having anymore, doctor. Just stay put until Dr. Shiraishi comes."

"She'snt coming," Kousaku laughed bitterly. "Still hasn't forgiven me fo' sleeping with 'er."

"Again with the nonsense." Youko clucked and another thought occurred to her. "You mean you were imagining Dr. Shiraishi while you slept with another girl?" She wrinkled her nose. "That's an awful thing to do. Fantasizing like that will only make her dislike you, y'know."

Kousaku did not say anything further, he just sat there staring mutely at his glass. Occasionally he would tap his glass on the counter but Youko ignored him. Finally he gave up and simply slumped down on the counter, muttering incomprehensible words.

True to her word, Megumi arrived half an hour later. Youko signaled to Kousaku and Megumi approached him uncertainly. "Aizawa?"

He raised his head slightly and looked at her with an unfocused gaze. "… Shiraishi." He must be hallucinating. She's here.

"How much did he drink?" Megumi asked Youko, who snickered. "Nowhere as much as you can, but he's not all that a drinker. Just get him home before he passes out please?"

"Aizawa, you're drunk." She stated matter-of-factly and he considered it. He probably was, if he could conjure her up so realistically. She even smelt of antiseptic and the dry stale air of hospitals.

Megumi found Kousaku's jacket discarded on the sofa and with some cajoling managed to get him to wear it. "You're going to be late to work tomorrow and Dr. Saijo's not going to like it, Aizawa," She warned him and quickly paid the bill on his behalf. "I've called a taxi for you," Youko said. "Take care of him, ugly."

At least he didn't need to be supported. She didn't think she could hold his weight if he chose to lean on her. Eventhough he wasn't all that big, he weighed at least 30 kilos more. She got him into the cab and asked his address. Kousaku gave the name of an apartment not far from where she lived and she instructed the cabby to follow it.

His apartment was strangely sterile, cold. The furniture still smelled brand-new and there was nothing that indicated it being a home – no photos, no knick-knacks. It was simply a place to return to but not to be lived in. She helped him into bed and found hangover medicine in the bedside drawer, which she set on the night table with a glass of water. He was strangely co-operative and Megumi summarized it was because he still believed she was an illusion. Sometime between taking off his shoes and fluffing his pillows it occurred to her that she had never seen Kousaku in such a state. What could have possibly made him want to drown in his drink?

She finished by drawing the covers up around him and was surprised when he caught her hand. He mumbled something and she frowned, unable to make it out. So she leaned closer, acutely aware of how close they were already.

"Shiraishi…"

Her heart skipped at his whisper. His eyes were closed, half between the land of dreams and waking. She froze in place, waiting for him to continue.

"… Angry?" He finally rasped.

She deflated a little and couldn't resist laying a gentle palm on his cheek. Despite everything that had happened, despite herself convincing she was at fault, she could not deny that tiny part of her that was attracted to this enigmatic, pragmatic man. This tiny part of her wasn't guilty; it was incredulously happy to have woken up beside him, yet she couldn't bring herself to listen to it. This was the part that had withered upon witnessing him slouched over the bar, almost cried when he had stared at her with eyes full of pain. This little part of her wanted to hold him and comfort him, but it was just not real. It simply couldn't be true.

But no matter what she felt for him – affection, shyness, frustration, she had never been angry.

"Never." She murmured and gently extracted her hand from his grasp. She found a Post-It on the desk and hastily scrawled on it; _Got you home. Don't worry about your tab, I paid for it._ She hesitated before signing her name, wanting to say more but no knowing how to say it. She finally just signed her name - _Shiraishi_.

She put the note under the glass of water and quietly let herself out of the apartment, casting him a final glance.


	7. They try to talk it out

Disclaimer: Code Blue and its characters do not belong to me.

**An Extended Epilogue**

**Chapter 7**

~ They try to talk it out ~

* * *

"Hmm…"

Assistant Head Neurosurgeon, Dr. Masaharu noticed his colleague thinking deeply while staring at an open folder. Feeling curious, he approached. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Dr. Saijo looked up and shook his head. "Just thinking about this year's exchange."

"Huh, Exchange? Oh, that thing." Dr. Masaharu peered at the folder. "What bad timing. Maybe you should go this year, doctor."

"Nonsense." Dr. Saijo couldn't even bear to think of leaving work for a day, let alone for two weeks as required for the Exchange. But they had been delaying it for months and it had to be done, considering news that Bethsea had just pioneered a new surgical technique that would drop mortality rate for hematoma removal to under 2%.

"I'll think of something," Dr. Saijo muttered finally as he closed the file and pushed it away, out of sight and out of mind.

Out of sight and certainly not on his mind were two medical staff who looked like they had just gone one round in the boxing ring.

"Man, that old guy really lost it," Kazuo sighed as he popped some kinks in his neck. He had just spent the last fifteen minutes grappling with an elderly man who was an ex-wrestler. The patient had suffered temporary judgment loss as a result of a tumor removal surgery and was so strong that the staff had no choice but to tie him down to the bed. Guess who got the job?

"Dr. Saijo should be checking up on him soon," Haruka checked her clipboard, her normally tidy hair frazzled. "In any case you should monitor him closely – "

"Who's that lawyer?" Kazuo had stopped and was staring at a well-dressed man standing uncertainly near the reception area. The gold badge on his lapel bespoke his profession, and Kazuo like most doctors before him had begun to dislike and fear them. A lawyer loitering on hospital grounds should be considered a safety hazard. "Is anyone in trouble this time?"

"Don't be silly," Haruka stepped forward and politely asked the visitor; "May I help you, sir?"

"Ah," He broke into a winning smile. "I was wondering Dr. Shiraishi is in… Shiraishi Megumi."

"Dr. Shiraishi?" Haruka exchanged looks with Kazuo who had also come forward.

Megumi passed the file to a nurse and proceeded to the EMC rest room. To her surprise Kousaku was waiting, leaning against the wall with arms folded across his chest. She stopped in the doorway before cautiously closing the door behind her. "Are you feeling alright?"

He looked at her and nodded. "Thanks. About the bill..."

Megumi visibly relaxed and bent down slightly to extract a file from the cabinet. "It's okay, it's not much."

"We need to talk." The sudden abruptness of it was like a car swerving sharply to avoid a collision - against the barrier that was _it_.

She froze in the act of pulling out the file and then slowly straightened up, her heart pounding in her throat. Was he going to…? She recalled the Kousaku from the night before. They were close to a kiss, and she would have – if he was sober. Did he remember?

Kousaku didn't look any better either. He shifted his weight onto the other foot and hesitantly continued; "About _that _night."

"… oh." Megumi slowly sat down on the chair, unconsciously and Kousaku took the other one. For a while they simply sat there in silence, both wondering who would take the next turn.

"… I'm sorry."

She blinked at him, uncomprehending. He grit his teeth uncomfortably. "It was a mistake."

Her heart sunk down to her stomach. "… a mistake?"

"You were drunk, I wasn't thinking straight. I never should have."

She struggled to take a breath and then somehow, somehow managed to shake her head. So that was it. "… It's okay. I don't blame you, I told you that. Besides, it's my fault. I was afraid you'd be angry at me."

He closed his eyes, knowing full well it wasn't her fault. But now comes the important part, the part that would take him out of his depth into uncharted territory. But before he could say anything, she had cut in. "Aizawa, there's something I have to tell you…"

But her words were effectively cut when the door swung open without so much as a knock. "Shiraishi, you in here?" Kazuo poked his head in and barely noticed Kousaku. "There's some guy here to see you."

"Me?" Megumi blinked and quickly hurried out of the room, Kousaku following suspiciously behind.

Close to the receptionist desk she had spotted her visitor and he grinned at her. "Yo, Megu," He called.

"Megu?" Haruka blinked.  
Megumi had come forward with a pleasantly surprised expression. "Yuusuke! What are you doing here?" And then noticing the flabbergasted stares of the people around them, she quickly introduced him; "This is Hitoyoshi Yuusuke, my senior back in high school."

"How do you do?" Yuusuke greeted them politely and then turned to Megumi. "I was in the area and wondered if you're free for lunch. Are you?"

"Sure, let me put my stuff away. Can you go to the cafeteria first?"

He nodded and left while Megumi briskly walked to the locker room.

In the stunned silence that followed, nobody noticed Kousaku slipping quietly away.

Haruka was the first to speak. "Her _senior_?"

"No way," Kazuo snorted. "He called her 'Megu' and she called him 'Yuusuke'. There's no way they're just senior and junior right?"

"Shut up." Haruka snapped in a manner reminiscent to her old self and huffed while leaving. Kazuo blinked in confusion. "What did I say?"

"What did you say?" Mihoko had just arrived and caught the tail end of the conversation. "Did you try to hit on her again?"

"Well no," Kazuo frowned. "She's kindda touchy about Shiraishi's boyfriend. Maybe it's cause she's envious or something."

Mihoko's eyes widened. "Shiraishi's boyfriend! Who?"

"Some lawyer named Yuusuke. Eh? Where's Aizawa?" Kazuo looked around and totally missed Mihoko swooning and then catching herself. "Lawyer." She repeated. "Are you sure?"

"He's a lawyer as sure as I'm a doctor," Kazuo said impatiently. "Anyway what's with the blown out reaction? Is it against the law to date lawyers or something?"

"You have _no_ idea," Mihoko muttered darkly as she stalked off. She briefly considered finding Kousaku – and then decided against it. Let him settle his own problems.


	8. She was spiked sugar to his coffee

Disclaimer: Code Blue and its characters do not belong to me

**An Extended Epilogue**

**Chapter 8**

~ She was spiked sugar to his coffee ~

* * *

Given the relative noise level in the cafeteria at lunchtime, it was forgiven that Megumi didn't hear him the first time.

"Beg your pardon?"

Yuusuke grinned sheepishly and repeated; "I said I'm getting married."

Megumi's eyes widened in surprise. "Why didn't you say anything over dinner last time?"

"I didn't think it was the right place," Yuusuke shrugged. "Actually I wasn't planning on telling you until we finalize the plans and all, but my fiancé just got a job here."

"Here?" Megumi cast a furtive glance around. "Is she here right now?"

"No, she's due to come in tomorrow." He chuckled. "She'll be a nurse in the pediatric clinic. So I thought… maybe you could help her ease in her new job. You know, new place and all…"

"I'd love to!" Megumi almost couldn't stop herself from bouncing in excitement. "I'm so happy for you, Yuusuke. When will the wedding be?"

"Probably in a month or two… just a small affair. Anyway," He grinned cheekily; "When are you getting married?' Yuusuke flipped the question to her. "Don' tell me you've been so busy you haven't thought of settling down."

She hesitated and then shifted her gaze elsewhere, still smiling shyly. "Well… not settling down per se. But…"

"What, you've got someone you like but you can't tell him?"

She blinked and then frowned; "You can tell that just by looking at me?"

"No, but you've always been that shy," Yuusuke sniggered. "Remember Yoshida in ninth grade?"

She remembered. She was so nervous about giving him a birthday card that she tripped and landed on her face, breaking two of her front teeth in front of the guy she liked.

"And that nerdy classmate of mine – Toki? And the swimming instructor over summer? And - "

"Stop it!" Megumi reddened. "I get the point already. Yes I do like someone but… it's complicated."

"Looking at it from a guy's perspective, the 'complicated' issue is always one sided," Yuusuke offered amiably. "Why don't you just tell him?"

"He's not interested in me. Plus this and that happened and I think he doesn't like me for it," With each word she slid down lower in her chair and Yuusuke frowned. "What exactly – oh!" His cell had rang and he took the call apologetically. "Hello? Yes. Now?" He looked at his watch and sighed. "Alright. I'll be there in fifteen."  
He hung up and winced at Megumi. "Sorry, a client needs to see me urgently. Honestly, I don't even get two hours to myself."

"That applies to me too," Megumi smiled as he got up. "Well, thanks for dropping by."

"I'll come around some other time Megu," He promised. "I'll be coming a lot anyway."

"Sure," Megumi smiled. Five minutes later, Megumi was still smiling. Her thoughts were filled with dreamy images of white dresses, bells and happiness…

"A wedding…" She murmured dreamily and instantly jumped when she heard something crash right behind her. Twisting around, she saw Haruka standing in shock, a tray on the ground with its contents spilled all over the floor.

"Saejima!" She gasped and quickly signaled for a cleaner to come. Haruka however had other ideas. Grabbing the young doctor's arm, she firmly pulled Megumi out of the cafeteria and into the garden. Once they were relatively away from people, she turned on Megumi. "You can't marry him!"

Megumi blinked. And then again. And then…

"Marry who?"

"That lawyer senior of yours. You can't!" Haruka seemed almost desperate. It was almost comical to watch the usually unflappable Haruka so flustered. But Megumi instantly put two and two together and then giggled. "You got it all wrong, Saejima. He's getting married, yes, but not to me. His fiancé is a nurse here. Will be." She corrected herself and Saejima felt blood rush up to her face in embarrassment. "… oh my goodness." She murmured and pressed a hand to her forehead. "I'm so sorry Doctor. I was… well I thought…"

"But why are you so serious about it?" Megumi frowned. "Even if I was getting married to him, why the objection?"

Haruka seemed torn between one thing and another and finally uttered a final apology before rushing away, leaving a puzzled Megumi to ponder.

As Yuusuke promised, he texted her the next day with the name of his girlfriend; Shibata Ruri. She turned out to be a bubbly girl with pixie-like features and an exuberance that nearly overwhelmed the older doctor. As someone who was supposed to pair with the confident and dashing Yuusuke, she was a jarringly bright choice, like spiky candy and mellow coffee.

As a pediatric nurse however, she was perfect.

"Hi! You must be Shiraishi Megumi!" Ruri clasped her hands in delight and admiration. "Yuu told me so much about you!"

"I'm sorry I can't say the same," Megumi ventured nervously, smiling. "He just told me about you yesterday, I'm afraid."

"He's like that," She waved her hand in dismissal. "But I'm glad to have a friend here. Starting work in a new place can be scary. Thankfully everyone is so nice! But this hospital is so big I'm having trouble memorizing where each department is!" She gushed and before Megumi could get a word in edgewise, she promptly asked; "Where is Neurosurgery?"

Her heart thumped loudly and she sincerely hoped Ruri couldn't hear it. "Um, it's on the second floor in the other wing." And upon seeing Ruri's confusion, she realized it was just too bad to leave it at that. "How about I accompany you and show you around?"

"Thank you!" Ruri all but threw herself at the bewildered doctor.

As they travelled down the corridors, Ruri chatted happily and gushed at one thing or another, much like a child in a theme park. Now Megumi could understand her appeal; she was innocent, beautiful and could light up a room. She had that rare sincerity and dedication to her job that was so pleasurable to behold.

"Oh wow, this is Neurosurgery? As expected from a university hospital," Ruri nodded in approval. Megumi stayed half a step back, half afraid to come in any further. It seemed a little deserted, with a few personnel she wasn't acquainted with. "Um, Ruri, let's go to another wing – "She had turned around as she spoke but was abruptly halted by someone almost bumping into her. "Sorr – "The word stuck in her throat when she realized who it was.

Aizawa Kousaku.

The medic in her registered that although only 24 hours had passed since they last met, he seemed to look more gaunt than yesterday. There was a faint darkness under his eyes that bespoke a sleepless night, and she briefly wondered if he was pushing the envelope too far.

The female in her promptly reddened at their proximity. "Sorry." She managed again and tried to step aside at the same instant he did, and they ended up still face-to-face. "Uh…"

Kousaku noticed the new nurse and Ruri promptly bowed in greeting. "Hello! I'm Shibata Ruri, and I'm new here. Please be nice to me," She beamed and Kousaku cast a questioning glance at Megumi, who found herself clenching her stethoscope tightly. "I'm showing her around."

"This is Neurosurgery." He said in a tone that clearly stated; _Now you know, so get going._

Which the two girls were simply glad to oblige. Some ten metres away Ruri gasped. "Wow! Talk about _cold_!"

"That was Aizawa Kousaku, one of the Neurosurgery doctors." Megumi found herself explaining – defending her colleague. "He's a little distant and scary, but he's really okay."

"Are you alright? You looked so scared just now!" Ruri looked anxiously at Megumi, who tried to avert her eyes. "Well, we're not all that close so I'm not comfortable around him," She lied. Ruri stopped at that moment and a sly smile spread over her features. "You like him, don't you doctor?"

Megumi couldn't think of a good defense to that so she simply said; "We only just met, so can you really make conclusions like that?"

"Aww," Ruri was positively brimming over with mirth. "But honestly, thank you for today. You're just as kind as Yuu said you were."

"And Yuusuke always did overexaggerate," She said in mock-sadness and Ruri giggled. "Anyway, I'll get back to work now. Thanks for showing me around, doc."

"My pleasure." Megumi smiled and watched as the girl half-jogged back to her department. But she suddenly stopped and turned around. "Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"I think the two of you would look cute." Ruri finished with a giggle and disappeared around the corner.


	9. Her heart shattered

Standard disclaimer applies.

**An Extended Epilogue**

**Chapter 9**

~ Her heart shattered ~

* * *

Medical staff liked to count time periods in weeks. It was not as much as days and more accurate than months. Bone fracture recovery? Eight weeks. Broken bones? Sixteen weeks. Chemotherapy intervals? Four weeks.

Kousaku counted that it had been two weeks since he last had any proper contact with Megumi in the breakroom, right before her senior came to lunch. That bump outside Neurosurgery and the few seconds in elevators didn't count. Whenever he came down to ER for a consultation they never said a word to each other – other than necessary, and he always left quickly.

The distance was painful, but not so much painful as the web people were tightening around her. Apparently the hospital grapevine was starved for news, for by dinnertime virtually everyone had heard that news that Megumi had lunch with a young and dashing lawyer who called her 'Little Meg'. The story varies from department to department, but unknowingly for the female doctor, she had become a celebrity overnight.

"I thought she was getting it on with Dr. Aizawa." A pediatric nurse whispered to her colleague as they pushed a child to rehab.

"Aizawa? Are you mad? Sure he's good-looking but have you even tried to talk to him?"

"Isn't she the one who cost Dr. Kuroda his job?" Another confidentially asked in the hallway.

"Maybe she used her lawyer boyfriend to worm out of a lawsuit. I'd not put it past her, that goody-two-shoes-fake."

Unfortunately for Megumi, the grapevine extended as far as the usually closeted Neurosurgery department, and hence to the ears of one very irate surgeon. In fact it was all he could do to keep his temper in check and not strangle the nearest whispering nurse. He had heard wildly untrue versions that bordered on the insane, and yet there were people who believed them.

_Do you believe them?_

She said he's her senior. She wouldn't lie.

_Not unless that was the thing she wanted to talk to you about. The other guy in her life._

He clenched his pen so hard it cracked. A nurse nearby scuttled away in fright. He sourly threw the pen away and stared at his ink-stained hand. He almost wished it was blood, not ink.

The change in behavior did not go unnoticed.

"Aizawa," Senior Surgeon Saijou called him over. "Come here for a sec."

He pushed away from his desk and approached his superior, wondering if there was a surgery scheduled. He was already thinking of an excuse not to do it. But instead Dr. Saijou pushed a folder towards him. "Me and the other surgeons have discussed at length, and we'd like you to represent Shohoku this year. You'll be leaving for Bethsea next month. How about it?"

Kousaku glanced down at the folder and read the cover. "New York?"

"Yes." Dr. Saijo set down his pen and regarded the last addition to his team seriously. "The Neurosurgery department of Shohoku is under St. Helen's Neurological Insititute's wing, so to speak. Once a year we send surgeons there to learn the last techniques firsthand, and this year I've decided you should go with Dr. Kurosaki. The knowledge you will gain will be invaluable and your future here at Shohoku... well anywhere actually will be much brighter."

Kousaku stayed silent as Dr. Saijo handed him the necessary documents. " "Is something wrong, Aizawa?"

He had heard of the exchange program but to his knowledge they had always sent more experienced doctors. To have been chosen is an achievement. Yet strangely Kousaku did not feel anything, not even satisfaction. The human in him doesn't consider this an honor at all.

But strictly speaking as a surgeon…

"I accept." He said flatly. "I'll go."

* * *

"Bethsea? You can't be serious," Kazuo pushed up his glasses. "That bastard...! How did he get to go?"

The Neurosurgery nurse lowered her voice; "It seems Dr. Saijo thinks he's got a lot of potential. That's why he was recommended to go eventhough he just joined the department. Some of the senior doctors are not happy, y'know."

"Keep this up and he'll have the entire hospital as his enemy," Kazuo sighed. "Oh well. Is this top secret or..."

"It's super top secret. _Hush hush_."

Kauzo nodded eagerly. "Right, right. My lips are sealed."

... or not.

"An exchange program!" Mihoko exclaimed and Kazuo quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. "Not so loud!"

Mihoko quickly looked around. The rest room was deserted. Megumi was doing her rounds, Mitsui was in the outpatient clinic and her ex-husband was nowhere to be seen. She wrenched Kazuo's hand away. "How long will he be gone?"

"Um, two weeks at least."

"Oh, that's not long at all," Mihoko sighed in relief and Kazuo frowned. "What's with that reaction? Don't tell me..." He slyly leaned in; "You have a something-something for Aizaw – oof!"

For Mihoko had pushed his face in with an ugly look. "_Don't_finish that sentence."

She left the room with a slightly injured Kazuo but that was the last thing on her mind. The hospital grapevine will spread fast, she thought. In a week everyone will know Aizawa's going on this exchange program. Everyone.

Does Megumi know?

Megumi most certainly did _not _know, until Ruri dropped the bomb on her. The three of them were having dinner in town; Megumi had been reluctant but you really cannot say no to Ruri. "..What do you mean New York?"

Ruri nodded as she happily swirled her sundae. "I heard it from Fukushima, who heard it from a Neurosurgery nurse when Dr. Saijo was talking with Dr. Aizawa. Actually I think the whole hospital knows by now, cuz I heard one of the girls in Obstetrics..."

Megumi had unconsciously tuned Ruri out as a coiling dread clenched her stomach. He was going to New York. And he didn't even tell them.

_You don't know that. Maybe he didn't tell you. Only you._

"Oi Megu, you alright?" Yuusuke's voice penetrated her thoughts. She blinked and noticed Yuusuke and Ruri were staring at her in alarm. "... huh?"

"You've been tearing that tissue to shreds. You okay?" He indicated the mess that littered her side of the table. Only then did Megumi realize that she had indeed been ripping the serviette to shreds. "Just... annoyed, I guess?" She forced a laugh. "He got such a great opportunity, I'm really jealous."

_Jealous, hurt hurt hurt_

"Hmm must be great to be Dr. Aizawa," Ruri sighed. "Young, handsome, talented..."

"And I'm not?" Yuusuke pretended to be affronted and Megumi forced herself to laugh along with them. Of course the don't know, they can't know...

Nobody must know that her heart is shattered now that he's closed the door on her.


	10. Blind Doctors

Standard disclaimer applies.

**An Extended Epilogue**

**Chapter 10**

~ Blind Doctors ~

* * *

A doctor is used to diagnosing people they've never met. They can tell how sick you are just by examining you, and their jobs (and lives) depend on them being right. But doctors are human, and occasionally they themselves take ill. When that happens, there are doctors who treat themselves like a patient and attempt to heal on their own. There are doctors who sit back and trust others to do the magic.

Then there are doctors who cannot even tell when something's wrong with them… until it's too late.

Megumi dropped the stick into the sink and dropped forward, bracing her hands on the wall. Her heart was beating loudly, her hearing strangely muted. Her gaze drifted back down to the stick that had burned her, literally. It was unmistakeable.

She was pregnant.

"Dear god…" She breathed unsteadily and checked the pregnancy stick again as if it would suddenly change color. There's no mistaking it, she was pregnant. Fighting to keep the nausea down, she threw the pregnancy kit away and stumbled back to her room, where the first thing she did was call in sick. For an ER doctor to suddenly take leave it would surely cause a frantic rescrambling of schedules, but she was past caring.

The next thing she did was lie facedown on the bed and cry. No sounds, just tears. It was like the tears were the physical manifestation of all her frustrations and they were now pouring out in a raging torrent.

Some fifteen minutes later, Megumi got up all puffy-eyed and red nosed and called again, this time to the one person she felt could help.

Forty-five minutes later a very agitated Mihoko was sitting on the sofa, her eyes locked on her friend. Megumi had calmed down somewhat, but traces of her crying bout still lingered. She sat with her knees drawn up to her chin, eyes gaunt and hollow.

Mihoko decided that the best question is the most obvious, but certainly the most painful. "Does Aizawa know?"

Megumi flinched like she had been slapped. She shook her head in the negative, which pretty much was what Mihoko initially guessed. "I haven't talked to him in weeks, even before he left for New York." She said weakly. "I just found out… this morning."

Mihoko mentally backtracked through the days and then cautiously asked; "It's been eight weeks since you slept with him and you just thought to check this morning?"

Megumi smiled at the silliness of it. "You know how things are… I just looked at the calendar yesterday and realized my period was overdue. Given the... circumstances, my first suspicion was… and it was…"

"True." Mihoko finished flatly and took a deep breath, holding it in for a while. It was one thing to have committed a drunken error, and another to be carrying the proof of that night in your belly. The first can be forgiven and forgotten, but the second?

"So what do you want to do?" She asked finally, frustration in the edges of her tone. "I can probably get a discreet consultation from Gynecology, maybe set you up with an appointment for – "

"I'm keeping it, Hiyama."

That simple sentence, spoken with quiet conviction cut off whatever Mihoko had been thinking and kicked her thoughts down another path. "Are you crazy?" She gasped. "Keep that baby? Aizawa would never agree!"

"He doesn't have to know." Once again Megumi's iron determination reared to the front. "If I leave, nobody will know."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere. It shouldn't be hard to find a spot elsewhere. Somewhere far away from here. I can chalk it up to experience. My father once offered me a place in Toudai's medical center too, and…" Shiraishi knew she was rambling but she didn't care.

"You're going to Toudai?" Mihoko was certain her friend had lost it. "Shiraishi, this isn't funny. We're talking about a child here. Your child. Aizawa's child. You can't just leave him out of the loop."

"Nobody's leaving him out of anything," Megumi drew her knees closer, if possible. "He had admitted the night was a mistake, that it wasn't supposed to happen. If I tell him I'm pregnant, goodness knows what he will do."

"Well this is Aizawa we're talking about here. Worst thing is he'll tell you to abort."

"I won't."

"Why are you being stubborn! You're single and a doctor! You should sit down with Aizawa – "

"_It's not his fault!_" Megumi shot back, her anger startling Mihoko into silence. That said, Megumi retreated back into her shell. "I don't want him to feel burdened because of something he didn't even want. This baby is mine, I'll make the decisions."

Mihoko pinched the bridge of her nose, willing her frustration away. "… First things first. You're two months pregnant. In four months you're not going to be able to hide it, maybe less. If you're going to run from Aizawa, you'll have to do it _now_."

Her parents were no less stunned than Mihoko, though they were certainly more level about it. Hirofumi slowly got to his feet and went to stand in front of the fireplace while Natsuki continued to sit, frozen.

Megumi had some idea what was going on in their minds. Hirofumi was the traditional partriach, the upholder of family customs and beliefs. This had never happened before, and to happen to him, to his daughter, his pride and joy...

She could only imagine the conflict of rage and disappointment clashing within him.

"So the father knows nothing." He finally said and Megumi nodded. "I do not want to tell him."

"Would he react badly, Megu?" Natsuki finally found her voice. "Why would you want to hide – "

"Natsuki." Hirofumi warned his wife and took a deep breath, taking his time to form the words. "You realize this is very… awkward, Megumi. You with child, to a man you are not married to and what's more you wish to keep this child without notifying the father."

"He doesn't need to know," Megumi wondered how many times had she repeated it. Again and again until they sounded hollow and bitter and vile. "He had already said it was a mistake. We acknowledge that it never happened."

"But it did." Natsuki's gaze was both steely and hurt. "You cannot pretend otherwise now."

"I know. And I… won't." Megumi could feel herself breaking apart. "Mother, father, I love the man and I love this child. I won't give it up. I know he'd tell me to abort, and I can't do that. I can't willingly take a life that I had created. I just _can't!_" Her breath hitched with sobs as she hunched over, wondering why why why was it all so hard.  
Natsuki and Hirofumi stared at their daughter, and finally the patriarch sighed.

"You need to quit your job, Megumi."


End file.
